


Good to be Home

by reeby10



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Families of Choice, Family, Fluff, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Mission, Romantic Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 12:43:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4920061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeby10/pseuds/reeby10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey there,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around her and leaning in for a kiss. It felt good to hold her again after being away, and he could tell by the way her arms tightened around him that she felt the same. “Missed you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good to be Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scribblemyname](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemyname/gifts).



> Written for Tag Exchange 2015. I tried to fit in as many of the prompted tags as possible, so I didn't get as in depth on most of them as I would have liked. I hope you like it anyway, scribblemyname!
> 
> This takes place sometime between Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but uses Avengers: Age of Ultron canon.

Clint was tired. It had been a long, gruelling mission full of nothing much but sitting in his sniper’s nest and waiting for a target that never showed up. Their window of opportunity covered a full two weeks, and having to sit with his eye on a scope for so long had taken its toll.

He was glad, though, that their handler had finally called the mission a bust. Now he just had to wait until extraction in the morning and an uncomfortable ten hour ride in a the cargo hold of whatever military plane they were travelling on this time. Then he’d be home and his long awaited leave could begin.

“You fall asleep over there?”

Clint turned to give Natasha a wry grin. “Just thinking about going home,” he replied, putting down the cleaning cloth that he’d been holding. His equipment was all clean anyway, so at least he’d waited until that was done to zone out.

“Not too much longer,” Natasha said, a small smile on her face. She knew how much he missed Laura and the kids when he was on a mission for so long, and he knew she probably missed them as well. He and they were the closest thing she had to family, and she loved them like it.

“Yeah,” he said vaguely, glancing over at the clock beside the hotel bed. “Just eight more hours until extract. Guess we should get some sleep, huh?”

“I’m the one already in bed, you’re the slow poke,” Natasha said, eyebrow raised. He held his hands up in surrender, but smiled. "Hurry and get your butt over here. You know there won’t be any sleeping on the transport.”

“Ugh, too true,” Clint groaned. He was usually pretty good about being able to sleep anywhere, but cargo planes just crossed the line for him. Maybe because they’re too shaky and loud, or just because he really didn’t trust anyone to fly but himself.

He packed up his equipment then started to get ready for bed, stripping down to his briefs and brushing his teeth. He hadn’t even realized just how tired he was until Natasha mentioned it, but apparently the past few weeks were catching up with him. If he’d had a chance to build up any sort of adrenaline during the mission, he was sure he would be crashing.

As it was, he couldn’t hold back a jaw cracking yawn as he crawled into the bed. Natasha immediately curled up next to him, tucking her head under his chin and her cold feet between his legs. He managed not to wince, if only because he was used to it. Her feet were always cold and she delighted in touching him with them whenever possible.

Instead of saying anything, he just wrapped his arms around her, smiling into her hair. He missed his family and wanted nothing more than to jump a plane and get to them immediately, but he was glad he had Natasha. Some cuddling with his best friend and a good night’s sleep was just what he needed to stave off the loneliness.

***

The plane ride home was just as bad as he’d thought it would be, and by the time they landed, Clint was exhausted and in a bad mood. He dreaded the drive home from the transport drop off, but thankfully Natasha knew him well. By the time he got out to the parking lot, intent on commandeering a car from the carpool, she was waiting at the curb in a slick black sports car.

“You going my way?” she asked, grinning so widely that he couldn’t help but grin as well, his sour mood dissipating a little.

“More like you’re going my way,” he replied as he slid into the passenger seat, tossing his bag in the back. “You know, I’ve always wanted a chauffeur.”

The look she gave him was so dirty he almost choked on a laugh as she sped away from the curb, whipping around the corner so that he hit the door. Despite the bruise he was sure he would have on his shoulder in the morning, he was happy she was there with him.

***

“Honey, I’m home!” Clint called as he came through the door, throwing his bag off to the side. He heard Natasha snort behind him, and he rolled his eyes. “Ok, _we_ are home.”

“Daddy!”

Clint squatted down just in time to be tackled by two highly excited children, scooping them up in his arms with a smile. He’d missed them a lot, and it seemed they had missed him as well. They were still young enough that any time away seemed like a lot, so they were always delighted when he returned home.

Laura came in a few moments later, smiling softly when she saw Clint with the kids and Natasha a few steps behind, waiting her turn for hugs. She walked over to Natasha, since Clint was preoccupied, and gave her a welcoming hug, whispering something to Natasha that made her laugh. Clint had always been glad that his best friend and his wife got along so well, and even more so that they had all become a sort of extended family like this.

When the kids had finally gotten their fill of him, they detached themselves to greet Natasha, leaving Clint to finally say hello to Laura.

“Hey there,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around her and leaning in for a kiss. It felt good to hold her again after being away, and he could tell by the way her arms tightened around him that she felt the same. “Missed you.”

“I missed you too,” she replied, smiling and kissing him again.

They broke apart after a few minutes and turned to see Lila having what looked like a very serious conversation with Natasha. The redhead was nodding along with what the three year old said as Cooper stood a little to the side, adding in a few words every once in awhile. Clint couldn’t really tell what they were talking about, but it warmed his heart to see the interaction. It was more than he could have ever dreamed that his kids would have an auntie who loved them as much as he and Laura did.

“Ok, bedtime,” Laura said once the conversation seemed to be winding down. Both the kids pouted, looking up at her with adorable doe eyes that made Clint want to immediately give in, but she just waved them toward their bedrooms. “No arguing. Say goodnight to Daddy and Aunt Natasha.”

They did as they were told and soon the three of them were left alone in the front entry way. Natasha gave them each a hug and bid them goodnight as well, heading off to the guest bedroom. She slept in it so often that it really should have been considered her bedroom. Maybe Clint should bring that up soon.

Laura shook her head, grabbing Clint’s hand and pulling him toward their own bedroom. “We should really just make that her room, she practically lives here anyway,” Laura said, making Clint laugh and nod his head. Looked like they were on the same wavelength there.

“We’ll talk to her in the morning,” Clint promised. “For now, it’s been way too long since I’ve been in our bed.”

***

Clint woke up curled tight against Laura and smiled happily. He was warm and comfortable, and he absolutely did not want to move. Turning his head just a little, he could see that the hour was still early and he didn’t hear any sounds from the rest of the house, so that meant the kids were still asleep or Natasha was keeping them occupied. Good, he could lay there awhile longer.

He must have dozed off again, because when he blinked awake awhile later, Laura was shifting a bit, obviously waking up as well. He tightened his arms around her and she sank back against him, turning her head so she could smile sleepily at him.

“Morning,” he whispered, not wanting to break the pleasant silence of the morning. He’d really missed this while he was away.

“Good morning,” she replied, her hands coming up so she could tangle her fingers with his across her chest. “I’m glad you’re home. The bed was too cold without you.”

“Mmm. I keep telling you we can get a heated blanket. Or a dog,” he said, laughing a little. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head in fond exasperation. It was a look he knew all too well. “I know, I know. A dog doesn’t cuddle as well as a person.”

“You’d be missing the cuddling too if you didn’t have Natasha on missions.”

Clint had to smile a little at that because it was very true. He was always glad to get long term missions with Natasha because of that, even aside from her being his best friend and arguably the best agent in SHIELD. But Laura was right, he’d definitely miss the cuddling. It was one of his favorite things, being so close to another person, someone he trusted more than anything, and being able to relax in the warmth and comfort of another person’s body.

He was luckier than he could ever say that he had a wonderful, beautiful wife who loved to cuddle as much as he did and didn’t feel threatened by his closeness with his best friend. Other people might have felt jealous or angry about the kind of relationship Clint had with Natasha, but not Laura. She understood the bond between the two of them, and she loved Natasha too.

“Stop thinking so hard,” Laura said, flicking Clint on the nose. He frowned at her, giving the best puppy dog eyes he could, but she only laughed as usual. “Morning cuddles are for relaxing, not thinking.”

“Yes, dear.” He pulled her closer, sighing happily when she snuggled back against him, hands tightening within his for a moment. It was really good to be home.

**Author's Note:**

> Concrit welcome. If you like my fic, come chat with me [on tumblr](http://voldiebuns.tumblr.com/) or maybe [buy me a coffee](http://ko-fi.com/A7274PC).


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